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Category Archives: flowers

Irises, Tulips and Elephants

It’s bulb planting time and today, my lovely Mr S has made up two pots of purple and white Iris Reticulata and a bigger pot of multi coloured tulips. I love planting for Spring colour and planting hope for the future.

It is National Elephant Appreciation Day. I love elephants as did my dear friend Angie and today is one we both celebrated.
We have been lucky enough to see elephants in the wild and I have a small collection of elephants – wooden, glass, painted, carved. Here are some of my favourites.

My Elephant family, representing me and the lovely Mr S, our eldest daughter, our second daughter and our twins, a son and a daughter. The tiny one is the little person we never met but who will always be one of us.

4 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on September 22, 2026 in family, flowers, garden, nature, Postaday 2026

Flower Baskets, Nigella and A Tomato

16 Aug

The hanging baskets outside our favourite coffee shop in Redruth are looking really lovely.

I haven’t sown Love-in-a-mist this year (an oversight) but discovered a couple of self-sown ones in the stony path.

Our tomatoes in the greenhouse are ripening up nicely. This one caused some amusement.

2 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on August 16, 2026 in Cornwall, environment, flowers, garden, nature, Postaday 2026, Redruth, Uncategorized

Tags: Home Ground coffee shop

Happiness Calendar, Posy and Water Babies

03 Aug

A bit late this month with the Happiness calendar….

Friends came over for tea in the garden this afternoon and brought a beautiful little posy of flowers from their garden,

Thanks P&J

As part of my clearing, I came across a very small booklet that I had as a child – a picture book version of Charles Kingsley’s Water Babies. I was reminded of Mrs Bedonebyasyoudid and Mrs Doasyoyuwouldbedoneby, both characters whose words we should all live by – The Golden Rule in fact. I’ve written about the Golden Rule several times before. Here’s one should you wish to check it out.

Sunflower, Butterfly and Plaque

21 Jul

At Roots today, a sunflower opening its petals

We’ve seen few butterflies at home this year so it was especially good to see a Painted Lady at Roots today.

I took the following photo when in Penzance on July 9th and meant to show you on 11th, the anniversary of the wedding of Dylan Thomas and Caitlin Macnamara in the house opposite the Acorn Theatre in Penzance.

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on July 21, 2026 in butterflies, community, Cornwall, environment, flowers, History, nature, Postaday 2026, Uncategorized

Tags: Dylan Thomas

Our Garden – Six on Saturday

18 Jul

I haven’t joined in the Six on Saturday, now run by Jim, for a while but here are six for today.

Begonias in an old chimney

Alstroemia

Crocosmia and Marguerites

White Agapanthus nearly open

Sweet peas on a wigwam frame

Basil flowers

I’m sure Jim would love to see you over on Garden Ruminations and, as always, if you want a peek over other people’s garden walls, then please pop over to his site where you find links to many more wonderful garden enthusiasts from all over the world. (Thanks Jude)

Six on Saturday

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on July 18, 2026 in environment, flowers, garden, nature, Postaday 2026, Uncategorized

Hanging Baskets, Ice Creams and a Butterfly

07 Jul

In Truro this morning I was very taken with the beautiful hanging baskets. On the way home, we admired a couple of the many baskets in Redruth from the car.

In Truro

In Redruth

A lovely warm afternoon invited us into the garden with ice creams.

There are so few butterflies in our garden this year but today there was a Meadow Brown. You’ll have to look carefully to see it in the (rather dry) grass.

Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)

8 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on July 7, 2026 in Beauty, butterflies, Cornwall, environment, flowers, garden, nature, Postaday 2026, Redruth, Truro

Tags: Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)

Flower Bombs, Daisies and A Rose

11 Jun

The flower bombs we bought in Amsterdam are developing but I don’t yet know what to expect as I don’t recognise any of the early leaves.

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The daisies are withstanding all the cold, wet and windy weather unlike the osteospernum which are looking very beaten down.

Our golden wedding rose has its first beautiful and highly scented bloom.

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Posted by mybeautfulthings on June 11, 2026 in environment, flowers, garden, nature, Postaday 2026, Uncategorized

Burncoose Gardens

04 May

Lovely short walk in the gardens today after buying a new Clematis Montana with our daughter. The bluebells and rhododendrons are magnificent.

2 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on May 4, 2026 in Cornwall, environment, flowers, nature, Postaday 2026, Uncategorized

Posy, Blue and Growing Crops

14 Apr

I took a posy to Sue-next-door this morning as today is the anniversary of her dear Bill passing. You can read more about the remarkable Bill Mitchell here.

Here is what Sue posted a couple of days ago, “On Tuesday it will be nine years since we lost our darling Bill. On his last day, surrounded by love, Mydd was holding his hand and offered to give him a manicure. He asked Bill what colour polish he would like. Bill said ‘Blue, the colour of the underworld’. So now we wear blue nail polish in memory of Bill. (Dear Bob, Bill’s brother, proudly paints a thumbnail, so that when people ask him about it he can tell them about the brother he misses so much). Please join me on Tuesday by painting one nail or all in blue and post a photo here”.
Hence the blue painted nail in honour of Bill as I take the posy next door.

It is such a pleasure to go into the propagating tunnel at Roots on a Tuesday and to see all the baby plants coming on so well.

Various tomatoes

Cucumbers

Runner Beans

Minerals, Primroses and Memories

02 Apr

Before we went upstairs to see the Cornish Myths and Legends exhibition last Monday, we went into the recently updated minerals gallery and it was breath-taking. Here are just two of the lovely pieces that caught my eye.

Malachite from Russia

Wavellite from Russia

I love Primroses – I think I may have mentioned that before.

I took a phone call today from the daughter of a lovely old friend, Edna, and heard that she had died on Tuesday. We first met many years ago when my lovely Mr S was a student teacher and her husband, John, was his history lecturer. Edna and I became friends as we canvassed for the Labour party together and I baby-sat for their two children. Edna was always kind and funny, interested in life and happy to share ideas.
Their parties were great fun and the food always delicious. Her recipe for an amazing Chocolate Malakoff became a family favourite for special occasions. I must make it again soon and share the recipe with you, dear Reader.
We lost touch for some years and then Edna read one of my letters in The Guardian and tracked me down. We have stayed close ever since, sharing political ideas and favourite commentators, Heather Cox Richardson writing about American politics in particular. Edna loved my blog and often commented which was really lovely. She was much loved and will be much missed.